Big Deal Music Group, SABCO Music Sign Jobe Fortner

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Pictured (L-R): Dale Bobo (Big Deal Music Group), Chris Kappy (Make Wake Artists), Kent Marcus (Marcus and Colvin), Jarrod Holley (Make Wake Artists), Jobe Fortner, Pete Robinson (Big Deal Music Group), Emily Boardman (Big Deal Music Group), and Randy Sabiston (SABCO Music).

Big Deal Music Group and SABCO Music have signed Jobe Fortner to a worldwide publishing deal. Fortner is managed by Chris Kappy and Jarrod Holley at Make Wake Artists and booked by Justin Cahill at CAA.

“We’re thrilled to add SABCO/Big Deal to the Jobe team. Both companies truly value the crucial process of developing an artist the right way and are experts at what they do,” said Make Wake Artists’ Chris Kappy.

“As soon as we introduced Jobe to Randy & Pete everyone in the room felt the synergy. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Big Deal Music & SABCO,” said Make Wake Artists’ Jarrod Holley.

“Jobe has a brilliantly distinctive voice that sets him apart. Randy Sabiston (SABCO Music) and I both agree that Jobe is a superb songwriter and a genuinely great guy matched only by his artistry,” said Pete Robinson, GM of Big Deal Music Group.

Hailing from Dahlonega, Georgia, Fortner was the opening act for Luke Combs the majority of 2016 before he decided to make the move to Nashville. In 2018 he released his self-titled EP, which has amassed two million streams and resulted in 2019 tour dates with Cody Johnson, Whiskey Myers, and Muscadine Bloodline.

Ashley Gorley Spends 15th Week At No. 1 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Ashley Gorley maintains his pinnacle positioning on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart for the 15th week. His co-writer credits are found on the songs “Catch” (Brett Young), “Good Vibes” (Chris Janson), “One Big Country Song” (LOCASH), “Remember You Young” (Thomas Rhett) and “Ridin’ Roads” (Dustin Lynch).

Zach Crowell stays at No. 2 this week, Laura Veltz moves up to No. 3, Ross Copperman moves down to No. 4 and Josh Osborne rounds out the top five at No. 5.

The MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity garnered from airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the first songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Little Big Town, Midland, Devin Dawson, More Show Out For First Annual Cash Fest

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Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for YouTube

In celebration of the release of the YouTube Originals documentary, The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash, YouTube enlisted more than 30 country, rock and Americana artists to perform their favorite Johnny Cash song at the War Memorial Auditorium last night (Nov. 10). Cash Fest was put on by The Best Fest, and proceeds from the event benefited MusiCares.

Country artists Little Big Town, Midland, Devin Dawson, Morgan Wallen and HARDY performed their choices, Americana favorites Ketch Secor (of Old Crow Medicine Show), Grace Potter, The Lone Below, and Drew and Ellie Holcomb put their spin on Cash tunes, and rockers Judah & The Lion, Bear Rinehart (as Wilder Woods), Matt Shultz (of Cage The Elephant) and Elle King provided their own rocking covers.

Pictured (L-R): Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild, and Phillip Sweet of Little Big Town perform. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for YouTube

The house band also served as the emcee, and moved the audience through the plethora of covers. Bits of footage from the documentary played occasionally during set changes. The film’s director, Emmy-award winning Thom Zimny, along with John Carter Cash got the evening started.

“Making this film, I learned a lot about different things and if Johnny taught me one thing, it was gratitude,” Zimny said as he thanked YouTube, the Cash-Carter family, and to Johnny Cash. “I also want to say thank you to Johnny Cash for his music, his faith, his family, and his love. It has really touched my life. Tonight is a dream come true for me.”

“The thing is, there’s nobody else in the world like him,” Cash said of his father. “I’m so grateful because he has a humility and a strength that endured because he established this lasting legacy himself based on his kindness and who he was as a human being, based on the way that he loved in life.”

Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor kicked the music off, accompanied by the legendary Charlie McCoy on harmonica. The Cash-Carter family sat in couches in front of the stage.

Devin Dawson followed with “Man in Black,” and Kassi Ashton gave a stellar rendition of “Give My Love To Rose.” Caitlyn Smith followed that up with a hot and heavy version of Cash’s version of “Rusty Cage.”

Kassi Ashton. Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for YouTube

Little Big Town shined on Cash’s gospel recording of “Why Me, Lord?” receiving a standing ovation from the Cash-Carter family. Other crowd favorites included Wilder Woods’ rocking version of “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” The Lone Below’s “Cry, Cry, Cry,” and Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe‘s “Ain’t No Grave.”

The biggest applause of the night followed Midland’s lively “Ghost Rider’s In The Sky” cover. Dennis Quaid‘s version of “Walk The Line” excited the crowd, as well.

Morgan Wallen and HARDY did an acoustic version of “You Are My Sunshine,” Brandon Lancaster of Lanco performed “When The Man Comes Around,” Cam did “What Is Truth?” and Trevor Terndrup of Moon Taxi chose “I Won’t Back Down.”

Lucie Silvas did a wonderful job with “Sunday Morning, Coming Down,” and Grace Potter mastered “Long Black Veil.”

Grace Potter. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for YouTube

John Carter Cash and Anna Christina Cash performed “Get Rhythm,” Judah & The Lion took on “Folsom Prison Blues,” and the Carter family descendants took on their well-known family classic, “Keep On The Sunny Side.” The night came to a close with a gathering of the performers on stage for “Will The Circle Be Unbroken?,” and was received with a standing ovation from the audience.

The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash is now available for viewing on YouTube.

YouTube video

 

Pictured (L-R): Morgan Wallen, Lyor Cohen Global Head of Music of YouTube, HARDY. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for YouTube

Judah & The Lion. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for YouTube

Little Big Town. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for YouTube

John Carter Cash and Carlene Carter. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for YouTube

Mark Wystrach, Jimi Westbrook. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for YouTube

The Carter Family. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for YouTube

Nominees For 2019 CRS New Faces Of Country Music Show Revealed

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Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) has released the slate of artists for this year’s CRS New Faces of Country Music® Show voting.

The nominees for 2020 are Ingrid Andress (Atlantic/WMN), Morgan Evans (Warner/WEA), Riley Green (BMLGR), HARDY (TVM/Big Loud), Ryan Hurd (RCA), Tyler Rich (Valory), Runaway June (Wheelhouse), Matt Stell (Wide Open/Records/GCE/Arista), and Mitchell Tenpenny (Columbia Nashville).

Five emerging artists who have achieved significant success at country radio during the qualification period are selected each year to perform. The New Faces of Country Music® Show has played a pivotal role in the careers of almost every major country star. The annual showcase was formed in 1970, making CRS 2020’s New Faces event the 50th Anniversary show.

Voting for the Class of 2020 will open Nov. 18 at 10 a.m. CST and will run through the end of the day (11:59 p.m. CST), Friday, Nov. 22 at countryradioseminar.com. The five acts with the most votes will make up the lineup for the show. To view the New Faces of Country Music® qualification criteria, visit countryradioseminar.com.

The New Faces of Country Music® Show will be held during CRS 2020 at the Omni Nashville Hotel. The show is co-sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Country Radio Seminar and Country Aircheck sponsor the evening’s awards.

Dinner tickets for the 2020 New Faces of Country Music® Show are sold out. The $649 registration rate for Country Radio Seminar 2020, held Wednesday, Feb. 19 through Friday, Feb. 21 at the Omni hotel, is available at countryradioseminar.com.

Sturgill Simpson Adds Second Headlining Bridgestone Arena Show

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Sturgill Simpson. Photo: Courtesy: Full Coverage Communications

Sturgill Simpson has added second shows in several markets to his upcoming Sturgill Simpson: A Good Look’n Tour, including Nashville (May 21), San Francisco (May 6), Detroit (March 1), Minneapolis (April 5), Knoxville (Feb. 26), and Asheville (Feb. 23).

The new tour features special guest Tyler Childers and will kick off Feb. 21 in Birmingham, Alabama, visiting 40+ cities including St. Louis, Austin, Chicago, Denver, and more through May 24.

Tickets for the tour go on sale to the public today, and Simpson has partnered with CID Entertainment to offer travel packages, with all net proceeds from the travel packages benefiting the Special Forces Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides immediate and ongoing support to the Special Forces community and their families. Simpson recently hit the road for a brief six-date club tour, donating 100% of the proceeds from these shows to the Special Forces Foundation. One dollar from each ticket sold for the upcoming Good Look’n Tour will also be donated to the Special Forces Foundation.

Sturgill Simpson: A Good Look’n Tour 2020 Dates:
Friday, February 21 – Birmingham, AL Legacy Arena at the BJCC
Saturday, February 22 – Asheville, NC US Cellular Center
Sunday, February 23 – Asheville, NC US Cellular Center **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Tuesday, February 25 – Knoxville, TN Knoxville Civic Coliseum
Wednesday, February 26 – Knoxville, TN Knoxville Civic Coliseum **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Friday, February 28 – Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
Saturday, February 29 – Detroit, MI Masonic Temple Theatre
Sunday, March 1 – Detroit, MI Masonic Temple Theatre **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Wednesday, March 4 – Pittsburgh, PA Petersen Events Center
Friday, March 6 – Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center
Saturday, March 7 – Duluth, GA Infinite Energy Center
Tuesday, March 10 – North Charleston, SC North Charleston Coliseum
Friday, March 13 – Hampton, VA Hampton Coliseum
Saturday, March 14 – Philadelphia, PA The Met Philadelphia
Sunday, March 15 – Washington, DC Anthem
Monday, March 16 – Washington, DC Anthem
Wednesday, March 18 – Toronto, ON Coca-Cola Coliseum
Friday, March 20 – Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
Saturday, March 21 – St. Louis, MO Chaifetz Arena
Sunday, March 22 – Southaven, MS Landers Center
Friday, March 27 – Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Saturday, March 28 – Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center
Sunday, March 29 – Sugarland, TX Smart Financial Centre
Wednesday, April 1 – Independence, MO Silverstein Eye Centers Arena
Friday, April 3 – Chicago, IL United Center
Saturday, April 4 – Minneapolis, MN Armory
Sunday, April 5 – Minneapolis, MN Armory **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Thursday, April 9 – Omaha, NE Baxter Arena
Friday, April 10 – Madison, WI Alliant Energy Center
Thursday, April 23 – Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Saturday, April 25 – Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Tuesday, April 28 – Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center
Wednesday, April 29 – Missoula, MT Adams Center
Friday, May 1 – Portland, OR Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Saturday, May 2 – George, WA Gorge Amphitheatre
Tuesday, May 5 – San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Wednesday, May 6 – San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Friday, May 8 – Inglewood, CA The Forum
Friday, May 15 – Boston, MA TD Garden
Saturday, May 16 – New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Thursday, May 21 – Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena **NEWLY ADDED SHOW
Friday, May 22 – Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
Sunday, May 24 – Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center

Bobby Karl Works The Room: SESAC Honors Justin Ebach, “Beautiful Crazy,” Warner Chappell

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Pictured (L-R): SESAC VP of Creative Services Shannan Hatch, Dustin Lynch, Justin Ebach, SESAC Sr. Director Creative Services ET Brown and SESAC Sr. Director Creative Services Lydia Schultz. (Photo by Ed Rode/Getty Images for SESAC)

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM

Chapter 637

If you want to make a black-tie awards banquet feel like a comfy evening at home, take a few tips from SESAC.

The smallest of the performance rights organizations used its size to its advantage to craft an event that was short on formality and long on warmth and intimacy. Staged at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s event hall on Sunday (Nov. 10), the ceremony saluted the writers and publishers of its top 16 country and Americana songs of 2018-19.

SESAC’s Songwriter of the Year was Justin Ebach. He was presented with the night’s big honor by singer Dustin Lynch.

“Songwriter of the Year goes down in history,” said Dustin. “It’s Big Stuff.”

“Holy shit,” exclaimed Justin. “You don’t get here by yourself. My wife, Janine, she handles my world….I’m a little caught off guard and not good at speaking, but Thank You So Much.” This is the second time that he has been given this honor.

“Beautiful Crazy” won Song of the Year for its SESAC composer Wyatt Durrette III. Singer Luke Combs congratulated him via video. Warner Chappell Music was named SESAC’s Country Publisher of the Year.

Pictured (L-R): Jimmie Allen, Justin Wilson and Josh Hoge attend the 2019 SESAC Nashville Music Awards at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Nov. 10, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for SESAC)

Executives E.T. Brown, Lydia Schultz and Shannan Hatch played tag-team in presenting the awards. During the evening, there were several fond tributes to SESAC veteran Hatch, who is leaving there to become president of the new Fourward Music publishing division.

The casual vibe of the awards banquet was evident from the start. There were no assigned tables or seats. Guest mingled comfortably throughout the cocktail hour, then gathered in informal groups. Dinner was served buffet style, with a wait staff circulating constantly with tasty snacks and glasses of wine.

Working the red carpet were Jenny Tolman, a vision in a fringed ivory mini-dress, alongside Calaway, Keith Burns, Olivia Lane, Jimmie Allen, Blanco Brown, turquoise jacketed Erin Enderlin, Runaway June, Ryan Kinder and the sartorially splendid Seaforth with member Mitch Thompson in a fabulous bejeweled jacket.

Victoria Shaw had Cooper Alan in tow. He is a new artist she is co-producing whose “Climate Change” country single has already garnered half a million streams. Victoria is also hosting the new PBS TV series, Songwriters Under the Covers. I recommend it.

Georgia Middleman was celebrating a new CD that she released last week. Gifted hubby Gary Burr was celebrating repaired knees, as well as enduring songwriting greatness.

Pictured (L-R): SESAC VP of Creative Services Shannan Hatch, Rosest Music’s Richard Blackstone, Wyatt Durrette III and SESAC SVP of Creative Operations Sam Kling. (Photo by Ed Rode/Getty Images for SESAC)

Jim Ed Norman confessed that he’s way behind on any Nashville news. He’s been on the road conducting orchestras on The Eagles tour.

Webb Wilder, Steve Bogard, Dallas Davidson, Josh Hoge and Cary Barlowe were working the room, too.

The ceremony began with a bang. Blanco Brown performed a mash-up of “A Change Is Gonna Come” and “Tennessee Whiskey” to illustrate how close classic r&b and classic country are to each other. He was searingly soulful, with stratospheric scatted falsetto notes. Who knew that “The Git Up” chart-topping novelty artist was such a phenomenal vocalist? Blanco’s mini set concluded with the whole crowd on its feet and shaking it to his groove-soaked “The Git Up” dance commands.

“Welcome,” said SESAC chairman & CEO John Josephson. “I’m always honored to be part of an event that honors our songwriters and publishers. We look forward to applauding each of you tonight.”

“Tonight is a party, and I’m so glad that Blanco started it off,” added Shannan Hatch. She pointed out that SESAC writer Jerry Salley had just won his second consecutive Songwriter of the Year honor from the IBMA and that SESAC fiddler Jenee Fleenor is the first woman to be nominated as Musician of the Year by the CMA. Both were present and given hearty rounds of applause.

The first group of awards went to “Not Many Miles to Go,” penned by Rosanne Cash, plus Casey Brown’s “Blue Tacoma” (Russell Dickerson), Kevin Welch’s “Millionaire” (Chris Stapleton), Wyatt Durrette III’s “Beautiful Crazy” (Luke Combs), Cary Barlowe’s “Raised on Country” (Chris Young) and Josh Hoge’s “Hangin’ On” (Chris Young).

Pictured (L-R): SESAC Sr. Director Creative Services ET Brown, BMG Silver Songs US Jake Gear, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Eric Church, Kos Weaver and SESAC Sr. Director Creative Services Lydia Schultz. (Photo by Ed Rode/Getty Images for SESAC)

Then Jimmie Allen and co-writer Josh London drew a standing ovation for their superb performance of “Best Shot.” Jimmie looked splendiferous in a wide red bolero hat.

Next up in the winner’s circle were Runaway June’s “Buy My Own Drinks,” written by the group’s Naomi Cooke, Hannah Mulholland and Jennifer Wayne, plus the Niko Moon/Cary Barlowe “Back to Life” (Rascal Flatts), Justin Wilson’s “Drunk Me” (Mitchell Tenpenny) and “Rumor,” written, sung, produced and published by Lee Brice. What a guy.

Justin Ebach’s “Good Girl” (Dustin Lynch), the Jason Boyer/Michael Tyler tune “Girl Like You” (Jason Aldean), Alysa Vanderheym’s “Talk You Out of It” (FGL’s so-called “baby making” ballad) and Ebach’s “Here Tonight” (Brett Young) paved the way for Ray Wylie Hubbard to perform “Desperate Man.” He slowed it down to a bluesy drawl, vamping on his own guitar and harmonica. The song’s co-writer and hit maker Eric Church staged a surprise appearance to present Hubbard’s honor. Loved him for that.

All of this took place in serene surroundings. The room was dominated by a massive center lighting fixture with multiple strings of white lumens arranged in a cube. The black-backed stage with pin lights was also lit by rectangular graphics of the award-winning songs. Tables wore black or red brocade cloths centered by arrangements of dark red roses or black-glass columns with tea lights. The room contained seated tables, high cocktail tables and black leather lounging couches. Take your pick.

Pictured (L-R): Blanco Brown performs onstage during the 2019 SESAC Nashville Music Awards. (Photo by Ed Rode/Getty Images for SESAC)

Terry Wakefield, Terry Hemmings, Charlie Monk, Capucine Monk, Ed Morris, Jason Morris & Jewel Coburn, David & Carolyn Corlew, Dave Brainard, Dave Pacula (who is now working for Liz Rose), Clay Myers, Clay Bradley, Fletcher Foster, Maurice Miner, Susan Stewart, Karen Clark, Gilles Godard, Troy Tomlinson, Tom Luteran, Tom Roland, Tim Fink, Tim Wipperman, plus Ron Stuve, John Huie, Dale Bobo, Woody Bomar, Diane Pearson, Daniel Miller, Erika Wollam Nichols, Allen Brown, Bob Doyle, Shannon McCombs, Larry McCormick, Peyton Hoge, Mark Ford, Amy Smartt, Ree Guyer, Stephanie Langston, Richard Blackstone, Ash Bowers, B.J. Hill,Lori Badgett, Katharine Richardson, Debbie Carroll, Pat Higdon, John Beiter and Cliff Audretch schmoozed.

Our buffet dining featured a roast beef carving station, Asian shrimp and rice, chicken lemon grass dumplings, soba noodles, pork pot stickers, shrimp salad spring rolls and chilled steamed asparagus, squash, cauliflower, red pepper and other veggies. Cookies and candies were offered as desserts.

Pictured: SESAC’s Sam Kling, SESAC’s John Josephson, SESAC’s Lydia Schultz, Casey Brown, Hannah Mulholland, Jimmie Allen, Naomi Cooke, Josh Hoge, Rob Hatch, Dan Hatef, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, Justin Wilson, Cary Barlowe, Michael Tyler, Josh London, Justin Ebach, SESAC’s ET Brown, Jennifer Wayne, Jaron Boyer. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for SESAC)

Belmont And Warner Chappell Present Alumni Writers Showcase

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Top Row: James Elliott (Chair of Songwriting Program, Belmont University), Doug Howard (Dean of Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, Belmont University), Carlton Anderson (Songwriter, Warner Chappell), Mark Trussell (Songwriter, Warner Chappell), Jordan Reynolds (Songwriter, Warner Chappell), Drew Ramsey (Songwriting Professor, Belmont University), Ben Vaughn (President/CEO, Warner Chappell Nashville). Bottom Row: Caroline Watkins (Songwriter, Warner Chappell), Grace Lee (Belmont student, Warner Chappell Songwriting Intern), Parker Welling (Songwriter, Warner Chappell), and Jessi Vaughn (A&R/Digital Manager, Warner Chappell). Photo: Courtesy Belmont University

Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business and Warner Chappell Music recently presented a writers showcase in the Johnson Theater with special performances by Jordan Reynolds, Parker Welling, Mark Trussell, Carlton Anderson, Caroline Watkins, and Grace Lee.

These Belmont alumni returning to campus shared music, advice, and stories from their time at the University, and the event showcased the special partnership between Belmont and Warner Chappell. Over the years, the publishing company has hired many Belmont alumni in business and creative roles, most recently offering a new, unique internship opportunity for songwriting students.

One of the evening’s performers, Grace Lee, a junior songwriting major, is currently participating in Warner Chappell’s Emerging Talent Associate – Songwriting program. Through the internship, Lee will be treated as an up-and-coming Warner Chappell songwriter, receiving various co-writing opportunities with professional songwriters, consistent song feedback, one-on-one time with the A&R staff, and mentoring on the publishing community in Nashville.

“Being a Belmont alumni myself, it has been such an honor to help facilitate the Warner Chappell/Belmont songwriting program. Alison Junker (previously at WC, now at Spotify) and Ben Vaughn created the program in 2018 and passed it on to me in 2019,” said Jessi Vaughn, Manager, A&R/Digital at Warner Chappell Music. “I have been blown away by the talent, willingness to learn, and bravery that Grace has displayed thus far. Walking into the room to write songs with people you’ve never met can be intimidating. Not only has she created amazing art, but she’s also done an incredible job in forging new friendships in the songwriting community. I look forward to seeing the rising stars this program yields over the next several years.”

“I loved hearing the stories of these Belmont alumni who write for Warner Chappell Music,” said James Elliott, Chair of Belmont’s Songwriting Program. “It was great listening to the hit songs they’ve written and how they met their co-writers and so many others they work with during their time as Belmont students. The Curb College has a rich history with Warner Chappell and we’re excited about the new opportunities Ben Vaughn and his team are providing for Songwriting majors like Grace Lee to co-write with their writers via the innovative Warner Chappell Songwriting Internship.”

Grace Lee. Photo: Courtesy Belmont University.

Ken Burns’ ‘Country Music’ Documentary Reached 34.5 Million Unique Viewers

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Ken Burns‘ eight-part Country Music documentary, which premiered Sept. 15 on PBS stations nationwide, reached 34.5 million unique viewers, according to Nielsen’s Live +7 data. During the documentary’s eight-night premiere run, the film delivered an average audience of 6.8 million cross-platform viewers (with an average household rating of 4.4), making the documentary Burns’ most-watched film since 2014’s The Roosevelts. To date, there have been more than 4 million streams of the series across all PBS digital platforms and the series has generated nearly 1.5 million social media engagements on Facebook and Twitter.

Country Music was directed by Burns and produced by Burns, Dayton Duncan, and Julie Dunfey. The first four episodes aired nightly from Sunday, Sept. 15 through Wednesday, Sept. 18, and the final four episodes aired nightly from Sunday, Sept. 22 through Wednesday, Sept 25.

The series will be rebroadcast on PBS on Friday nights at 9 p.m. ET from Jan. 3 through Feb. 21, 2020.

“We couldn’t be happier with the audience we reached with Country Music,” said Burns. “We were fortunate to travel across the country to towns large and small to discuss this film and this history, and in each, we were met with new stories about the power of music. The PBS stations in just about every market helped us engage a public that rightly sees this music as their heritage.”

“Country Music is about the power of music and stories,” said Perry Simon, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager at PBS. “It is also about the power of public television to reach people in every corner of this country and to share with them their stories while further engaging them in conversation about this art form. We’re thrilled with the reach we had and the fact that Ken’s film will continue to entertain and educate audiences for years to come.”

Women In Music, Secret Deodorant Partner To Create Opportunities For Female Musicians, Industry Execs

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Secret Deodorant is stepping up to help champion equal representation for women in the music industry. Secret has announced a pledge to feature 100% female-created music in all future campaigns and enlisting female singers and songwriters to create tracks for all marketing efforts, beginning in 2020.

“As a brand for women, we consistently strive to elevate other women in all we do. But when it comes to the production of music for our campaigns, it has frankly been a struggle to do so, as women are so significantly underrepresented in the music industry,” said Sara Saunders, Associate Brand Director, Secret, P&G. “We want to change that. We’ve heard from women that there’s one thing that can make all the difference in their careers, and that’s access to other women in the industry. Secret is proud to team up with Women in Music – the music industry’s leading non-profit working toward gender equality – to enable to just that. And we’ll continue to support those women by exclusively enlisting all-female music teams in the production of Secret campaigns.”

Through a partnership with non-profit Women in Music, Secret will offer 250 aspiring female artists access to female mentors. Secret is launching a talent search through which women can receive several opportunities to help build valuable connections, including annual Women In Music (WIM) memberships for 250 women, WIM mentorships with industry artists and/or executives for 50 women, access to Music Biz 2020 for two women, Music Week Badges to SXSW and travel/accommodation for two women, the opportunity to have their music featured in a future Secret ad, and more.

To enter, aspiring artists and songwriters must share their own take on Secret’s “All Strength, No Sweat” brand anthem via their Instagram channels. Those more interested in the business side of the industry are invited to share their “All Strength, No Sweat” stories and career aspirations on the platform as well. To join this movement, women can check out the official guidelines here.

Other musicians, including Secret partners MILCK and Lauren Eylise, will help to rally their fans to participate in the effort via socials, so they too can benefit from industry access and mentorship programs through this effort.

“We are thrilled to have a brand like Secret working with us to make the music industry a more equitable, diverse and inclusive community,” said Nicole Barsalona, President, Women in Music. “In our study with Berklee Institute of Creative Entrepreneurship, we found that mentored women earn more money, express greater satisfaction with their jobs, and were more likely to feel they were where they should be in their careers. Our partnership with Secret allows us to offer meaningful mentorship opportunities so that more women have a chance at that kind of transformational change.”

Bluewater Music Names Liam McMellon Creative Director

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Liam McMellon

Bluewater Music has appointed Liam McMellon as Creative Director, based in London UK. He will be responsible for a wide range of creative projects, including artist development and artist management for Bluewater’s creative division.

Bluewater’s president, Peter Roselli, says, “We’re thrilled to continue our work with Liam. His extensive experience and deep knowledge of the UK music industry aligns with Bluewater’s vision to further develop its international growth.”

McMellon joined Bluewater Music in a consultant role in 2017, signing UK Americana Award winners Curse of Lono, Norway’s Violet Road, hit songwriter Greg Becker, singer-songwriter Roseanna Reid, film production company Goldfinch Music and the new UK based band, The Violets.

The role will also include working with Bluewater client, VEVA Sound on their latest service VEVA Live. The VEVA Live service verifies, validates, and archives live performances during artist tours for future exploitation.

McMellon moves to Bluewater from the UK film and TV production company Goldfinch where he served as the in-house music supervisor. His industry career started at multi-award winning, UK independent record label, Silva Screen Records/ So Recordings, where he worked on notable film and TV soundtrack successes, before working for Silva Screen Records’ joint venture, Southern Crossroads Music during which he ran the Nashville entity.